Check out this video of Bishop Olmstead, responding to criticism for declaring officially what everyone had known for some time: the local Catholic hospital was not really Catholic:
Yes, let's hear it for the Bishop! Pharisidic law wins out against compassion. Better than a woman AND her unborn child die, and leave her other children motherless so that LAW can be preserved. Guess God is most happy, except didn't Jesus argue that the Law falls when it cannot accomplish what it was instituted for? To salute the Bishop is simply wrong. Arrogant misuse of power, excommunication, and punishing those who did what any ethicist would agree with, is simply vengeance for vengeance sake.
Praise the Lord! He is faithful to his promises! "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." (Jer 3:15)
Wait, wait, Sherry--what did that big, bad, vengeful, etc. bishop actually do here? Did he go around the hospital giving random people concussions with his crozier, or forcibly close the hospital and left the sick on the sidewalk, or worse? No, it turns out that he simply declared that this particular hospital's practices were not consistent with the clear, public, etc. moral teaching of his church, and therefore decreed that the hospital could no longer call itself "Catholic." Oh, and you know what's the interesting thing about that? That apparently it is his J-O-B to be, like, the authoritative Teacher of the Roman Catholic faith and morals in his diocese! So, get this: to declare that something or someone is NOT in line with his church's faith and morals, and to act on the basis of this judgment, is totally within his purview! Whoa, right?
I'm not a Roman Catholic and therefore have no vested interest in this controversy, but I have always found it ridiculously funny that some people and institutions wish to flatly deny what the Roman Catholic church clearly teaches, and yet still want to call themselves "Catholics." There is no dearth of faith communities where such specimens could find a cozy home that meets their religious and ideological demands and needs--so, let them join one of those.
6 comments:
Yes, let's hear it for the Bishop! Pharisidic law wins out against compassion. Better than a woman AND her unborn child die, and leave her other children motherless so that LAW can be preserved. Guess God is most happy, except didn't Jesus argue that the Law falls when it cannot accomplish what it was instituted for? To salute the Bishop is simply wrong. Arrogant misuse of power, excommunication, and punishing those who did what any ethicist would agree with, is simply vengeance for vengeance sake.
From a link on Steve Ray's website.
http://canonlawblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/bp-olmsted-canon-216-and-st-josephs.html
Praise the Lord! He is faithful to his promises! "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." (Jer 3:15)
Thank you Bishop Olmsted for being the salt of the earth and the light of the world!
Wait, wait, Sherry--what did that big, bad, vengeful, etc. bishop actually do here? Did he go around the hospital giving random people concussions with his crozier, or forcibly close the hospital and left the sick on the sidewalk, or worse? No, it turns out that he simply declared that this particular hospital's practices were not consistent with the clear, public, etc. moral teaching of his church, and therefore decreed that the hospital could no longer call itself "Catholic." Oh, and you know what's the interesting thing about that? That apparently it is his J-O-B to be, like, the authoritative Teacher of the Roman Catholic faith and morals in his diocese! So, get this: to declare that something or someone is NOT in line with his church's faith and morals, and to act on the basis of this judgment, is totally within his purview! Whoa, right?
I'm not a Roman Catholic and therefore have no vested interest in this controversy, but I have always found it ridiculously funny that some people and institutions wish to flatly deny what the Roman Catholic church clearly teaches, and yet still want to call themselves "Catholics." There is no dearth of faith communities where such specimens could find a cozy home that meets their religious and ideological demands and needs--so, let them join one of those.
I'll see your Olmstead and raise you a Fisher! :)
http://levitersalsalis70.blogspot.com/2011/01/condoms-ok-within-marriage.html
No competition intended, but isn't it grand to see bishops being, well, bishops!
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